The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-04
LAST HOURS OF CONGRESS.

Exciting Scenes In the House-The President
Will Not Go to the Capitol To-Day.
speciai to the indianapolis Journaa.
WAsHINGToN, March 3.-Extremely exciting
and boisterous are the scenes connected with
the closing hours of the Forty ninth Congress.
Speaker Carlisle says that in all his twelve years
of congressional life he has never seen so much
clamor on the floor of the House, and yet such
uniform good humor. He took the bit in his
mouth last Friday, when the last elk days of the
session began, during which it has been in order
at any time to suspend the rules and put bills
upon their passage. but, although hundreds of
members have begged and bawled for recogni-
ton, have steadily been refused, and have
taken their seats to recuperate and then renew
their demands for recognition, not one has shown
bad blood or reflected upon the Chair. AT times
the arena semi circle thirty by twenty feet, in
front of the Speakers desk has been filed with
excited members crying at the top of their voices
for recognition. Haunting bills in the air and
making side remarks, presenting scene which.
When taken with the continuous and loud rap
ping of the Speakers gave rivaled
pandemonium and beegared description.
The galleries and corridors leading thereto were
filed to overfowing, and are at this time It
was and is enough to tax the nerves of the most
self-possessed presiding officer, but Speaker
Carlisle, in the execution of his determination
announced on Friday last, has steadily refused
to recognize anybody when there were appropri-
alton bills, conference reports or other privileged
matters ready for consideration. The conse.
| quence has been that very few measures heye
been taken from the calendar during the past
week, and the six suspension of-rules days have
been Of no practical use Senators and Repre-
sentatives have been busy great portion of the
week clearing out their desks and packing their
effects ready for departure to their homes, and
within twerty four hours large portion of them
will be on their way out of the city, many never
| to return to participate in the legislative pro-
ceedipgs OF Congress. Those whose terms ex-
| pire at noon to morrow are the most anxious to
get away. In the hotels the corridors are filled
with congressional boxes with the names Of
statesmen, or alleged statesmen, upon them
| On the House side of the Capitol these
boxes almost block the corridors near
| the elevator, and they look not unlike coffin
| boxes piled up one above another in an under
| takers shop These boxescarry away many dis
appointed hoSes to their last resting places.
| Many pet schemes thus given only decent
congressional burial in these official boxes, and
| many members will carry home thus ali the
fame that TWO years Of Congress has brought
| them.
/ The prospects are that but little will be done
tomorrow, further than to agree upon the ap-
preparation bills still in conference.
This has been an exceedingly busy day at the
! White House. The President remained secluded
| as much as possible until the Cabinet meeting,
in order that he might devote his entire time to
p large number of bills awaiting his action. The
only visitor he saw in his Office this morning was
| Assistant Secretary Fairchild, whom he sent for.
This fact gave rise to a report that he had been
selected to succeed Secretary Manning.
The President found time, however, to
go down into the East Room to receive
delegation from the Delaware Legislature, &C.
companed by Senator'S Salisbury and Gray. A
number OF members of Congress called at ths
White House, but, not being able to see The
President. they contented themselves by ascer
tanning, in the assistant secretary's Office, the
status of various bills in which they were par
ticularly interested. In order that the Presi
dent might Lot be unnecessarily delayed in tax
ing final action bills he directed that all bills
which had been referred to the various depart
ments for examination bc returned to the White
House by II o'clock today, if possible. Dowr